P422-M substandard flood control projects discovered in Oriental Mindoro
ORIENTAL Mindoro Gov. Humerlito A. Dolor inspects another structurally deficient flood control project in Barangay San Andres, Naujan on Saturday. (Dolor FB)
CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro – Gov. Humerlito A. Dolor identified two more alleged anomalous flood control projects amounting to P422-million as possible main causes of perennial floodings in the towns of Victoria and Naujan, this province.
Dolor said these are located in Barangay San Andres, Naujan and allegedly did not follow the project’s specifications and plans and the contractor used substandard materials such as undersized sheet piles.
He conducted an inspection in Sitios 3 and 4, Barangay San Andres and discovered an unfinished road dike and esplanade on Mag-Asawang Tubig River.
“This is not actually a project. This is waste of people’s money,” Dolor said while inspecting the depth and quality of the projects on Saturday.
The governor said that he has told outgoing Department of Public Works and Highways-Mimaropa (Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) Director Edith Babaran and District Engr. Romela Bangasan of the DPWH-Oriental Mindoro District Engineering Office about the steel sheet piles which were used but cut in half from its original size of 12 meters.
DPWH records showed that these projects, with contract ID 3E00042 amounting to P210,613,578.90 and Contract ID 23E00041 costing P210,610,643.37, were awarded to New Big Four J Construction Inc., a construction firm based in Las Pinas City.
The contract was signed by former DPWH-Mimaropa Director Gerald A. Pacanan who is now jailed with eight other co-accused for plunder and corrupt practices before the Sandiganbayan.
Other signatories were Cecilia M. Vicquerra, chief, Finance Division; Friedrich Karl L. Camero, chief, right of way and legal division, and Jaime C. Cruz, representative of the contractor.
Dolor has testified before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee where he cited alleged ghost, substandard, and overpriced flood control projects in Naujan and Bongabong towns.